Doctors had not played for 6 weeks due to the rain and
seemed to be suffering from ‘early season’ rust.Graham Fergusson and Andrew Paisley played solidly
but struggled to get out of second gear against accurate bowling from Colin
Trewren, Matt Wilde and John Pike.Eventually they freed the shackles and the scoring rate improved and
both batsmen retired having passed thirty.Phil Barker came in to play a bright and breezy innings which was just
what was required.Keith Powell (10)
lent good support and after 17 overs Doctors had not lost a wicket and were
comfortably placed.Barker (30 n.o.)
retired and the wheels fell off big time as the returning Pike (6-15) took
six wickets, all clean bowled, in two overs at a cost of only 3 runs.Doug Jayatilaka played one handsome cover
drive but could do nothing about the carnage at the other end as Doctors
finished on a below-par total.

Peter Andrews and D.Cook started the Council’s innings
with a flurry of drives and pulls and both benefitted from some sub-standard
fielding.Imogen Mann was unlucky to
be wicketless and it was Peter Reed who took the first wicket when Jayatilaka
pouched a skier from Cook (13) at extra cover.Doctors were in contention when Reed (2-15)
bowled Andrews (17).A fine ball from
Barker (1-27) took out Dunn’s leg stump but the match swung irrevocably when
Wilde (30, retired) blasted 4 sixes in quick succession and Gareth Clifford (28
n.o.) and Pike (15 n.o.) were able to ease their side home with a full 6
overs to spare.